139
Red lipstick was always a risk. Matilda generally went for more nude, classic looks…but on days such as today she needed to look confident. Prepared. And red was the best way to achieve that.
She finished applying her makeup and backed up a few paces, judging herself in the mirror. She looked striking; just as she planned. Perfect.
"Ms. O'Keefe."
Alejandro materialized at her side. Matilda didn't even turn to look at him as she spoke.
"Make it quick; I'm leaving in two minutes to get to town hall. A true politician is always a few hours early. My father used to call it schmooze time. I'm not sure if I'm as good at it as he was, but it can't hurt to make myself known."
Her assistant sighed heavily and Matilda finally turned to face him.
"What a reassuring sound," she quipped dryly, and he rubbed his nose.
"No one's told you, then?"
The NCST President clenched her jaw in answer, and Alejandro pulled something up on his tablet and handed it to her. She took it cautiously, as if accepting a wild animal, and her crimson lips pursed as she read the title.
"'Matilda O'Keefe UnMasked?'"
"It was posted thirty minutes ago…and has already been spread across the entire realm."
Matilda stared at the screen, tsking softly.
"Don't tell me those foolish children…."
"It was posted by the same author as the FreeTheodynn movement posts, from what we can tell," Alejandro confirmed. The NCST President's eyes flashed angrily. She watched the video play, her normally calm demeanor cracking. Alejandro watched warily as her hands trembled.
"They'll pay for this, that's certain," she finally managed. She shook her head with a grim smile. "Children just never learn the first time, do they? Always have to push the boundaries…earn the hard consequence."
"There's more," Alejandro admitted, and she looked up at him angrily. He reached over to pull up another tab on the screen in her hands, and a news report came into view. A crowd of picketers was outside of the town hall, holding signs such as "Free Theodynn" and "Justice for Oni." There were more than one that slandered Matilda herself, and she scowled furiously as the news reporter spoke.
"It seems there has been a huge rise of Oni supporters gathered today, openly opposing Councilwoman Candidate Matilda O'Keefe. Less than one week ago, President O'Keefe…"
"They must not care about their little Oni friend…pulling something like this."
Alejandro frowned at the President's tone, finally reclaiming his tablet.
"From what we can tell, these picketers don't have any affiliation with the Ninja children or their families. They seem to be led by a group of students from Marty Openheimer's School of Performing Arts."
She scoffed bitterly at that.
"School brats now? What on earth are they teaching children these days?!"
Matilda straightened, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I suppose my first act as councilwoman will have to be something that will teach the children of this realm to have more respect for their government leaders. Call the police."
Her assistant blinked in surprise.
"What…"
"The Police, Alejandro. I want this cute little resistance crushed."
"The police cannot arrest the protesters; they haven't broken any laws by being there," her assistant reminded carefully, and Matilda scoffed.
"Please. This is why we are having so many problems; we've gone soft as a government. No matter…we don't need to actually arrest anyone. We just need to send the police into the fray; at the sight of law enforcement, these children will run."
The man next to her didn't seem too convinced, and she looked over and raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
"After you call, prepare my car. I still have one last thing to do here before we go, and I want everything ready for me when I finish."
It was completely dark, and Theo could feel his frustration building. They had taken him from his old cell, marched him down into the basement of the same building. There wasn't even an elevator option to get here…only a back staircase that was tucked in a corner of the first floor. The cell he was in now lacked light, and it was empty besides the cot he was sitting on. The walls were thicker as well, and Theo was left to wonder why they even had these reinforced cells down here. Were they planning of keeping people locked in this basement that no one seemed to know about? Did Ashley and the others even know where he was?
He wished he had the glow of his own aura at least to go off of, but he had nothing. So, he fiddled with the cuff, wincing at the stinging sensation. Was he bleeding?
"…Oni…"
He jumped at the crackling sound, and then scowled. It was some kind of intercom system; they didn't even bother talking to him face to face anymore. He didn't answer, and Matilda's patronizing voice continued.
"Just wanted to check in before going off to my big debate, and thank you for your help. You may not realize it, but you've given me the key to success…"
Theo wished he at least knew where the voice was coming from so he could smash the speaker. But they didn't talk to him very often…so he couldn't ever locate it in the dark room. He stood and began searching for it now.
"As for your little friends, it seems they just couldn't help but get involved again. You can be sure they will be facing heavy legal repercussions. In fact…I'll be so busy dealing with them that I'll probably have to push you and your parents' trial back even longer. You'll have to thank them for that, once you finally get out of here."
"You're a Monster!" he finally yelled. "And someday, everyone will see that!"
Her laughter echoed around him, making him that much angrier.
"No, freak…you're the monster. You and your whole delusional family."
The intercom crackled off, but not before he finally managed to find it. It was small, positioned in an inconspicuous place on the far wall. Theo had to pull to the full extent of his chain length in order to rip it off the wall, but he finally managed. He was about to destroy it in his anger when he realized something. He could feel wires coming out of the device, broken from being torn out of the wall. His heart pounded as his anger turned to determination. Making his way back to his cot, Theo sat as he began to pull a hard, thin wire from the device.
Perhaps that witch would pay sooner than later after all.
The pencil sharpener whirred in a mind-numbing kind of way, and Colby sighed dramatically. Turning himself into the police had given him a sort of rush yesterday…but today he was on hour two of community service and it wasn't even noon. Suddenly, being the hero seemed a lot less interesting.
He pulled the pencil out, checked it for sharpness, and plopped it into the cup with the rest. Soon he was going to run out of pencils…what would be next? Cleaning the police bathrooms with a toothbrush? He shuddered at the thought.
Officer Curtis—the one who he had confessed to the previous day—was typing on the computer. He glanced over at the teen's second dramatic sigh and shook his head.
"Don't do the crime if you can't do the…"
The doors banged open then, cutting off the age-old cliché. Colby couldn't help but be grateful—he had always hated clichés. But his train of thought trailed off as he watched two officers enter with a familiar face.
"Dani?"
The girl looked up and caught sight of him. She reddened, and then smiled sheepishly.
"You know each other?" one of the officers with the girl muttered. "Let me guess…you run in the same political circles?"
Colby frowned in confusion, and the officer gave Dani a little nudge.
"Go help our little vandal while we call your parents, why don't you?"
Dani blinked, but made her way over to Colby while the police officers who had just arrived began talking with Officer Curtis. Colby wasn't sure what to say, so he just stared at Dani until she sighed.
"What you in for?" she finally said, giving him a hesitant smile. He blinked and then cleared his throat.
"Oh…um…I might have vandalized a building…"
Dani blinked.
"You…."
"With this."
He held up his phone so she could see it, and the girl broke out into a smile.
"Hey…that's pretty good! You really got her expression down…"
"Yo, crime-buddies!" One of the officers snapped. "Get cleaning!"
Colby smiled sheepishly and pushed another pencil into the sharpener. Dani came over to sit next to him, looking like she wasn't sure what to do.
"What are you in for?" Colby asked, and Dani blew a lock of hair out of her face. Something flickered across her face, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was ashamed that she was sitting in a police station right now. She did seem like the sort of person who didn't do many things wrong.
"I…might have put together a protest at city hall," she admitted. Colby blinked.
"But protesting isn't against the law!" he said, giving the officers a suspicious sideways glance. Dani tugged at a strand of her hair guiltily.
"Yeah…but throwing an egg at a certain NCST jerk is."
Colby laughed out loud. He couldn't help it.
"You what?"
"I got into the moment!" the pianist protested, getting to her feet in a passion. "There I was, with a hoard of people all there to support Amber and her brother, trying to protest a monster who not only has targeted my friend and her family, but can't even bother to act civilized to her own son…"
Dani was getting heated, talking faster. The officers looked up from what they were doing to scowl, but the girl was in rant-mode, and Colby couldn't do anything but watch.
"And the police show up and try to get us to leave, but you know, we had a right to be there….and then Matilda showed up in that fancy car of hers…and she looked right at me. With that face! With that "you're-a-useless-nobody-and-I'm-going-to-ruin-your-friend's-life-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it-face!"
"Sounds like quite the expression." Colby commented, but Dani hardly heard him.
"And I just….ERG."
She stamped a foot, and Officer Curtis came over.
"Oi, cool it girly…I don't like having to put kids in the holding cell, but if you're going to…"
"Sorry officer, I'm fine."
Dani's reply was meek and she dropped into her chair, her face suddenly tomato red. Colby sat in silence, and as Officer Curtis turned a stern eye on him he grinned sheepishly and pushed the pencil deeper into the sharpener. The policeman finally huffed and headed back to his computer.
"So…"
Dani looked up as Colby took the pencil out, blew the shavings off, and turned to her.
"You threw an egg at her?"
"Hard-boiled. Packed it for lunch. She's lucky the police got me before she got hit with a tuna sandwich. But unfortunately, the egg hit an officer in the face instead of Matilda, and now I'm here."
Colby laughed again and finished up the final pencil.
"Hmm….not sure what they want us to do now," he admitted, glancing over. Curtis was typing in his computer, and the other two officers had disappeared.
"I think they went to call my parents."
Dani's voice was quiet, and she was suddenly looking pale.
"I don't know what they're going to say. They'll probably be furious…I've never gotten into trouble like this before."
And just like that, the egg-wielding warrior of justice had transformed into a thirteen-year old girl on the verge of tears. Colby frowned, concerned. He wasn't really sure what to do when girls cried; in his family it felt like he was the only one that ever cried. He honestly wasn't sure if the twins were just not capable or if they just never had let him be witness to it.
"I like your shirt," he blurted, and she looked down at it. She sniffed, rubbing her face.
"Thanks. You know the Cray-Z's?"
"Sure. Even met them a few times."
Suddenly the tears had vanished. Dani's eyes were wide as she leaned in.
"You've met the Cray-Z's!?"
He nodded, puffing out his chest a little as he leaned back.
"I mean, I don't know them well. But my parents get invited to these galas every year, being past ninja and all, and they've been there the last few years. Mia hates those parties because she has to wear a dress, but May thinks it's fabulous. For my part, I usually try and talk to fellow artists. Like the band of colorful rockstars, for instance."
Dani's mouth was hanging open, and she seemed to have forgotten that they were sitting in a police station.
"So you've met Reggie Blue?!"
"Reggie?" Colby asked, in a nonchalant way that made it sound like they were close friends. In truth, he had only bumped into him once, literally, making the drummer spill punch all over himself. But that didn't feel like something to bring up now. "Sure, I've met him. He's pretty quiet…"
"I knew he was the quiet type!" she squealed. "I absolutely love Reggie Blue! I mean, the others are alright too—Midnight Moses, Crimson Davies, The Jaded Mask, Ivory…"
"Black, Red, Green, and White. Plus Reggie Blue…one Rockstar for each color of ninja," Colby cut in. Dani blinked.
"What?"
He scoffed.
"You mean you're a superfan and you didn't know that? The Cray-Z's got their inspiration from the ninja group my parents were a part of, all those years ago. Something about passion and true potential and color, or something. I'm not sure." Colby shrugged. "There isn't one for my mom…she's always been kinda bitter about that."
"Oh my gosh, that's so cool!"
Dani's voice was reaching uncharted decibels at this point, and Officer Curtis sighed.
"Alright, kids…I think it's time the bathrooms get some TLC," he grumbled, turning to them. Colby groaned, but Dani seemed resigned to her fate. After a little while they were set with buckets and—indeed—toothbrushes. Colby sighed as he got to scrubbing. Once they were alone, Dani spoke again.
"I can't believe you know Reggie Blue. It's like my life's dream to meet him."
He shrugged, and she sighed.
"It must be so cool, being the son of a ninja. I mean, when I was at the temple it was crazy seeing you all work. Putting everything together to save Amber's brother…"
"Yeah, well…it's our first real operation. And when I left we weren't doing so hot."
"What do you mean?"
Colby sighed and shrugged as he scrubbed.
"Eh…at the end of the day, we're just amateurs," he admitted. "Me worse than anyone."
"I dunno…that wasn't really an amateur drawing," she pointed out helpfully, and he just scoffed as he scrubbed with more vigor.
"Stupid drawing. Me doing that on the side of the NCST is what got us all caught in the first place. It would have been better if I hadn't gotten involved."
"So why did you?"
He paused and looked over to see Dani looking at him with wide eyes. A blush was running up his neck and he cleared his throat.
"Oh…you…you know. To help Amber, and Theo."
Dani nodded and Colby looked at the floor as he began scrubbing furiously.
"You must all be really close. Did you all grow up with each other?"
"Kinda. They visit a few times a year."
"So you've known Amber all your life?"
Colby shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I mean…I knew her. But she didn't like us. And she really didn't like me."
"What do you mean?"
Colby sighed, his mind playing over dozens of memories.
"I dunno. She always looked at me like I was the biggest jerk or biggest idiot on the planet. I kinda thought that she of all people would understand, but she didn't want anything to do with me. I don't even know what I ever did wrong!"
"Understand what?"
He looked over and Dani tilted her head.
"What was it you thought Amber would understand?"
He blew out his lips. It was rare he talked about this kind of stuff. To be honest, it was rare someone bothered talking to him at all—or listen to him.
"I'm kinda the ninja-kid outcast," he admitted. Dani scoffed.
"I'm sure that's not true…"
"It is though. Like…they had one kid too many."
"Who did?"
"My parents! We don't really talk about it, but everyone knows how it's going to go down. Someday the twins will inherit my parent's powers. Ash'll get fire from her Dad….even Julien will get ice from his father. And Zane isn't even his real father! And even though there's only one element to go between Theo and Amber, they both have super cool Oni power, so it doesn't even matter who gets it! And then there I'll be…Colby the useless wonder, with no skills and no powers and…"
"The future is hardly ever written out," Dani cut in, giving him a smile. "And besides, it's not like you have no skills. I saw the painting you did."
"You mean the one of Matilda?"
"Nah, the one on the temple. It was pretty cool—I've always liked abstract stuff. It's kinda how music would look in color."
Colby just stared at her, the blush finally making its way up his face. She blinked at his expression.
"What?"
Colby reddened deeper.
"Err…nothing. I just…"
He shrugged again, and after studying him bumble for a few seconds, Dani smiled.
"Not used to people liking abstract?" she guessed, and he sighed.
"Even my Dad hates it…and he's generally the one who tries to be supportive of everything."
Dani laughed, but it died down with Officer Curtis opened the door.
"Danielle, your parents are here."
140
"What about this one?"
Hershel snorted as Pippa shoved something bristly too close to his nose. He pushed her hand away, sneezing.
"Not like that, Pip!" he chided, and he heard her tone become sheepish.
"Sorry."
He sneezed one more time, wiping a tear from his sightless eye before reaching out to take the herb Pippa was testing him on. He felt his niece carefully hand him the bristly herb, and he brought it near his nose to inhale carefully.
"Yid plant," he finally concluded. He heard Pippa giggle.
"You sure?"
He frowned, smelling the herb one more time before running his thumbs across the stiff bristles.
"Yes. Are you sure you know what this is?" he challenged, and Pippa laughed again.
"Ok, you're right," she admitted, taking the herb back from him. "You got them all right so far, Uncle Hershel."
"I would hope so," he muttered, reaching for the next thing on the table.
"Wait!" Pippa yelled, and his hand froze in midair.
"What?"
He heard a scraping as Pippa pulled whatever it was off the table.
"That's Lumanium. I don't think you wanna smell that one," she explained, and Hershel blinked in surprise.
"Indeed not." He hesitated, and then reached out. "But let me feel it."
There was silence, and he frowned.
"Pippa…."
"Ok. But be careful, Uncle Hershel."
He couldn't help but smile a little at her authoritative tone.
"I'm the one you taught you everything you know," he reminded as he reached out and finally felt the contents of the bowl in the child's hands.
The lumanium felt smooth. It had a particular feel to it, which made it easy to identify even without smelling it. After a few moments he withdrew his fingers and then asked for a cloth. Pippa handed him one and he wiped his fingers clean.
"How many fever leaves do we have?" he asked, and there was a scraping sound as Pippa pushed herself away from the table.
"Umm…" she started, no doubt counting their stores. "Like…six?"
He nodded to himself, standing carefully.
"We'll have to go collect more, then," he said decidedly. It still sent a pang of fear in him every time that he decided to leave his tent, but he didn't have much of a choice unless he wanted to sit at home like an invalid and make Syn and Pippa take care of him for the rest of their lives.
He couldn't hear Pippa following him and sighed.
"You coming?" he prompted, and she was silent a moment longer.
"Mom gets mad when you leave the tent," she reminded, and he turned to give his niece what he hoped was a stern expression.
"Your mother is not the boss of me," he retorted. She didn't answer and he turned to head to the back door. He had the layout of his tent more or less memorized by this point, but he still reached out with his hands out of habit. He had reached the back-door flap when he finally heard scuffling footsteps behind him.
"Alright, I'll come with you," Pippa assured, and Hershel felt a wave of relief. Technically he wanted to get to the point where no one had to help him anymore…but the thought of going anywhere completely on his own was still unnerving. He didn't say anything to Pippa, however. He just nodded and pushed his way out into the sunshine.
It was hot, and it was still a strange sensation to have the warmth of the sun beating down on his face with no change to the blackness of his sight. He lifted his fingers to his mouth to give a shrill whistle.
"He's not going to come to that," Pippa warned, and Hershel frowned down at her.
"What do you mean?"
"If you wanna call Baffa, you have to whistle like this."
A moment later a piercing whistle echoed around them.
"My whistle sounded just like that," he complained.
"Nope. Yours was really long and it went down at the end. Mine is shorter and it goes up at the end."
Hershel pondered that for a moment.
"Do it again."
She obliged, and he listened carefully. Then he tried to mimic the sound himself.
"Better," Pippa assured, but by now he could hear the thumping of the approaching sniffer. Hershel put out his hands, bracing himself. Sometimes Baffa remembered to be careful…but often he didn't. Sure enough, a large furry mass nearly knocked Hershel over as Baffa buried his face into the Master Healer.
"Baffa likes you," Pippa commented happily, and Hershel grimaced as he pushed the sniffer back.
"So did Nip. I never really understood why."
Pippa was pulling Baffa back now. Hershel heard the sniffer munching on something; apparently Pippa had brought a treat along.
"Nice Sniffers can tell the good people from the bad people," she decided, climbing up onto her sniffers back. "That's why they like you, Uncle Hershel. You smell like a good person."
Hershel reached out and took hold of Baffa's mane in the usual spot and the sniffer started walking.
"What exactly does a good person smell like?" he countered with a small smile. Pippa made some deep-thinking noises.
"I dunno," she finally decided. "Only Baffa knows. But if I was a sniffer I would know!"
Hershel shook his head and Pippa continued.
"Could you turn me into a sniffer, Uncle Hershel?"
He snorted.
"No, Pippa."
"No you won't or no you can't? You said you would turn me into a gecko…remember?"
Hershel smiled softly at the memory, but then it faded. He could picture such scenes in his mind, but even the happy memories of his past were tainted by their reminder of everything that he had lost.
"Is it cuz you don't have your powers anymore?" Pippa tried, and Hershel's expression darkened further.
"No. Oni power can do many things, but it can't transform anything."
She sighed.
"That's boring. I wish you still had your powers…and that you could transform stuff. It would be much cooler," she complained, but Hershel was lost in thought. They were quiet for a while, with even Pippa being unnaturally pensive as she guided her sniffer towards the caves where the fever leaves grew.
"Uncle Hershel?"
Her voice was a whisper and he turned to face her.
"Yeah, Pip?"
"Why don't you want me to be your apprentice?"
He exhaled slowly, feeling uneasy. When he didn't answer she spoke again.
"Is it cuz you want your own kid to be your apprentice, like Mom said?"
"Pippa."
She fell silent, most likely because she caught on to his serious tone. He stopped walking, and Baffa stopped as well when he felt the tug on his mane. His niece didn't say anything and Hershel reached out until his hand came to rest on her shoulder.
"I'm not going to ever have an apprentice," he finally admitted. He felt her stiffen.
"What do you mean? Cuz you'll never have a kid?"
He winced and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter if I have kids or not. I've decided that I won't have one."
"But…"
Pippa sounded confused, like she was trying to process what he meant.
"But you have to have an apprentice! Don't you?"
He was quiet and he felt her hand on his arm.
"Uncle Hershel…"
"It used to be that I didn't want to saddle you or anyone else with the responsibility at so young an age, Pip. But now I've realized that this isn't the life I'd wish on anyone. Least of all you."
"Why? Why not me?!"
He chuckled sadly, his hand moving from her shoulder into her fluffy hair.
"You are perhaps the freest individual I've ever met, Pippa. I'd hate to do anything to change that," he explained gently. She scoffed.
"Free?"
"You've always been free, Pip. Free to go where you want, do what you want…be what you want. No one has dictated what you have to become; you do things because you want to, not because you're forced to. The second you became an official apprentice, all of that would be gone. You'd be tied to the Healer's organization for life. There's a reason our bands are tattooed; they aren't ever meant to come off."
"But that is what I want!" she argued. "I want to be a Healer! I want the tattoos and I want to be your apprentice…"
"I can teach you without you being brought into the organization," Hershel argued softly. "And it's not required for you to be an apprentice in order to be a healer. Think about your mother: she's a healer too, you know…but free from the obligations I am under."
He continued to rub her head, and Pippa finally sighed.
"Alright."
Her tone was far from happy, but hopefully she understood now that he would never be offering her or anyone else an apprenticeship position. They began walking again, his thoughts far away. Phos had waited so long to make him an apprentice, he realized. Even when offering it, the Ancient had sounded grudging. Hershel had always assumed it was because he wasn't from Phos's line—that maybe the Ancient Healer was hesitant to accept a slave as his own. But now Hershel couldn't help but wonder if Phos had faced similar feelings that he was having now. He wished he could ask his old teacher and mentor; another wave of grief and depression washed over him as he remembered that it was impossible to do so.
"Uncle Hershel…are you not free?"
He didn't answer and Pippa continued.
"You don't want me to be an apprentice cuz you said I wouldn't be free anymore. Does that mean you aren't free?"
His expression darkened again as his grip on Baffa's mane tightened.
"No, Pip," he finally murmured. "And I'm not sure I ever have been."
"You don't have to."
M. glanced over at Amber who was standing, studying him. No doubt she had picked up on his unease. When he didn't say anything, she prompted further.
"M?"
"It's probably the only way, huh?" he finally murmured, rubbing his head as he sighed. "And I want to help, Amber. After everything I did wrong, I've gotta try and fix it somehow."
"You can't blame yourself for everything," she argued softly. They could hear the protesters in the distance; it wouldn't be long before the debate started. Amber was fiddling with her necklace, and he felt a stir of relief when he saw it was the one he had given her. Not that it meant that everything was fine between the two of them, but hopefully it at least meant she didn't hate him.
"Is your Dad going to be mad?" she finally asked. "You had to sneak out, right?"
That was the strangest part, actually. For the first time in months, his father had granted him permission to do something that M. was sure he would want his son as far away from as possible.
"He let me come, actually," M. admitted. "No doubt he relishes the fact that this will probably burn the last bridge between my mom and me. There probably won't be any coming back from this."
It came out more bitter than he had meant it to, and he saw Amber wince.
"I know how excited you were to get back in touch with her," she started carefully. "That's why I said that you don't have…."
"I'm doing it."
M. was surprised by his own resolve, but a sudden rage had filled him. He had been excited to get back in touch with his mother. He had been so careful, so hopeful…following her like a puppy, playing into her hands. He had wanted so badly to believe that she cared about him, that she loved him. He still wanted to believe that. But the soul-crushing reality of the last weeks had woken him up to her true nature. She hadn't even looked for him! His fists tightened as he realized that. He ran off and she didn't even bother to try to find him. Instead, she used his disappearance as another way to target his best friend and her family.
It had never been about him…the lunch dates, the mother-son talks, the fact that she had ever shown up. It had always been about her…her and the Oni.
"M?"
Amber sounded concerned now, and he exhaled angrily as he looked at her.
"I'm fine," he lied, not even worried about the fact that she would know it was a lie. "Are you coming too?"
She looked like she wanted too, but then the Oni shook her head.
"I can't. None of us can…from what Julien could figure out, Matilda's put us all on the blacklist for this event. Even if we could get in, they definitely wouldn't let us get anywhere near your mother."
He nodded; that sounded like his mom, really. Sounded like she had thought of everything.
"In fact, Ashley's not sure that you won't be on the blacklist…."
"I won't."
M. looked up at his friend and gave her a grim smile.
"Don't worry about that. If I've learned anything from the past few weeks, it's that my mother seems to have forgotten I exist."
Amber looked like she didn't know what to say, and she finally offered a small smile.
"Then it's high time somebody reminds her."
141
M. was dressed in nondescript clothing, just in case. He slipped into the masses headed into city hall, an earbud in one ear and a bored expression. He didn't even glance at the protesters.
"Hang on, kid."
He winced internally; he had almost made it through the door. But rather than freak out, he pulled out the earbud and gave the security guard a questioning look. The man was scanning a page of pictures; no doubt the blacklist that Amber had mentioned. M's heart was pounding, but then the guard was shaking his head.
"Nevermind. Head on in."
He felt a rush of relief mixed with bitterness. Clearly, his mother didn't think he would be a threat. He suddenly wondered if Matilda was even aware that he had been found, or if he was still lost as far as she knew. He swallowed the bitter feelings down, giving the guard a small smile as he put the earbud back in and headed into the hall.
Ushers directed him and the crowds around him into the main meeting room. A stage had been set up, with seats set up for each of the candidates. M's heart gave a lurch as he spotted his mother. It wasn't hard to miss her; today she was decked out in blazing red. He ducked down as he shuffled with the rest of the crowd. The seats were all taken by this point, so he found an obscure spot in the standing room only. He didn't really mind as long as he had a good view of most of the debate. He only had one real purpose for being there…and he would have to wait a while for it to occur.
His feet were already hurting by the time the debate finally started. The mayor got up and blathered on for a moment about traditions and whatnot, wishing the candidates luck. M. had wondered if the entire debate would be centered around the Oni, but surprisingly it wasn't brought up for a while. After the five candidates went around and around about things from taxes to sewage rights, he was bored out of his mind. He tried distracting himself by deciding which other candidate would be better than his mother. The balding man wasn't half bad; he made sense. The woman with the overalls seemed…down to earth. Matilda certainly looked the best up there, he realized. She had dressed to impress, and if the contest was based on looks alone, she would have it in the bag.
But it wasn't about looks…it was about what was best for the realm. And that's why he was going to make sure that his mother didn't even get close.
He had started zoning out when a question was finally brought up that discussed the Oni.
"…Oni threat?" the monitor was finishing, and M. clenched his jaw. What was the question? The balding man raised his hand first and was called on.
"Well…I think to label the Oni a threat would be a little premature at this point…" he started. Matilda scoffed from her seat next to him.
"Oh please…"
He shot her an irritated look as he continued.
"Ninjago has always run in an "innocent until proven guilty" enforcement policy, and I for one don't think the Oni have done anything serious enough to be proven guilty at this point."
Well…it was good to see that all politicians weren't crazy, M. mused. Matilda cut in immediately, just as M. knew she would.
"Yes…perhaps that is the way Ninjago was run in the past. And what did we get for our trust? Do I really need to remind the populace of this realm the dozens of times this city has been razed to the ground?! By the time a threat has "done something serious enough" to be considered a threat, countless lives are lost and we are having to start the city from ground zero, again!"
"But what proof do you have?" One of the other candidates chirped in. "A family coming to visit their daughter in the hospital? That's enough to declare war on an entire people?"
"You're a loose cannon, Matilda!" Another added. "I for one am also skeptical of these Oni people, because I agree that the events of the past should make us skeptical. But without actual evidence of mal intent, your actions could do more harm than good with Oni relations. How do you know you aren't inciting war by attacking this family?"
There was murmuring in the crowd now, and M. bit his lip. For her part, Matilda looked completely unfazed.
"I do not believe that Oni, nor anyone else, should be given special treatment. If a law is broken, then there are consequences. As for relations, I don't feel the need to try and make amicable relations with those who have made verbal threats against my realm…"
"What verbal threats?" the balding man demanded, and she rolled her eyes.
"There has been a direct threat filed against both me and the realm of Ninjago," Matilda explained. But she was not looking at her competitor, instead, she was looking out to the room full of people. "A member of the Oni government told me that he would make us regret the safety measures we put in place…that I personally would regret trying to protect Ninjago. Now tell me: if the Oni are not a threat, why is it they fight so drastically against the policies put forth to protect ourselves?"
"You have proof of these threats?" another candidate cut in dryly, and Matilda turned and sneered at her.
"In the same week I received the threat, my son disappeared. Next thing I know, I've gotten word that he was found in the custody of the Oni themselves. He's currently in the hospital…goodness knows what the monsters did to him. And for what? Because I was willing to hold the Oni accountable for the laws put in place to protect every Ninjagoan citizen?"
There were louder murmurs now, and M. felt both rage and nausea wash over him. The last of his lingering doubts about his mother and his decision were devoured in the acidic bitterness inside. Around him, people were gossiping in dramatic tones.
"I read that on the news actually…didn't know he was being held by the Oni…"
"You didn't see the photo? Here, let me pull it up…there, see? That's his old man, and he's the kid with the shock blanket on. That figure by the police is definitely that Oni witch…"
"Hospitalized, poor boy. I heard about that…I hope he's alright."
M. was right in front of them…but it didn't matter. He realized that to these people M. didn't really exist. The person they had heard so much about was some victimized teen…and he wondered if his mother even saw him differently than that. Was he really a victim in her eyes? Or a pawn? Or nothing at all…just some character she invented once upon a time instead of a son she gave birth to fourteen years ago?
"There are many policies to be discussed, as I'm sure we're all aware," Matilda was continuing coolly from her place on the stage, her head held high like it was balancing a crown. "But rest assured, Ninjago, I don't take shortcuts when it comes to the safety of our realm. Ninjagoan lives are what matter…and Ninjagoan livelihoods. And despite the threats received, I refuse to be cowed into submission. I will do what is best for Ninjago, not what is best for me."
She was a powerful speaker, M. had to admit. When she spoke like this, it made you want to agree. Or at very least, cheer. A bunch of people in the crowd were already cheering.
"Thank you, candidates," the monitor finally said, bringing that question to a close. "And now, we'll take some questions from our audience…"
This was it. M. began moving forward. He tugged the hood of his jacket on; he didn't want his mother to recognize him prematurely. He pushed past others, quickly finding a spot in the line of people who had formed to ask their questions. His heart thudded as he saw how many were in front of him and prayed he'd be able to make it to the front before this debate was wrapped up. How long did it go again?
The first woman grabbed the mic from the monitor, and the ear-ringing sound of feedback caused everyone in the audience to wince. After a moment, it faded and the woman spoke.
"My question is for Candidate Williams. How would you best utilize the land that's just been rezoned from residential to industrial on the east side…"
The questions weren't nearly as charged as M. thought they would be. One or two speakers asked about the Oni, and his mother always managed to twist it in her favor. How she would protect them. How she had already done more for the safety of Ninjago than the ninja of the past. How she wouldn't let the realm down.
Finally, there was just one person in front of him. His heart was pounding harder than it had for any performance he had ever been in. Maybe it was because this was more than a performance…this wasn't a dance. It wasn't even an act. This was going to have to be 100% M pouring out his true feelings. He hoped he wouldn't break down; if he cried here, then his mother would destroy his argument in seconds.
"Thank you," the man in front of him said to the candidates, and suddenly M. was being handed the microphone. His hands were shaking hard, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. This was the point he would usually dig into his pocket for the familiar weight of his good luck charm…but the medal had been tarnished for him forever. So instead, he straightened and looked up at the candidates, ignoring the camera in his face or the bright lights. Openheimers didn't give in to pressure.
"My question is for Candidate O'Keefe."
Matilda had been chatting with the bald man next to him, most likely cutting him down. But at the sound of his voice, M. could see the flicker of recognition cross her face as she turned. Their eyes met, and he was both calm and firm as he continued.
"Why did you leave?"
Amber's stomach was in knots.
"Move over!" Mia complained, and Julien grunted as the twin pushed her way closer to the screen.
"There is not much room!" he reminded, but then May was shushing him. The son of the Ice Ninja had managed to hack into the camera feed for the debate, and now they were all gathered around a screen as they watched M. take on his mother. Amber felt terrified, but those around her just seemed nervous. Only Ashley seemed to be giving off the same level of anxiety as Amber had.
"C'mon, kid," the redhead murmured, and Amber took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, trying to send mental strength to her friend across town.
"You got this, M."
Matilda just stared. The meeting room had gone silent for a full three seconds, and then whispering began again in full force. No doubt everyone was eager to point out that that must be her son…the very son who was supposed to be in the hospital. M. wondered wryly if there were people in the crowd comparing the back of his head to the pictures from their stupid little news stories. When Matilda didn't say anything immediately, M. continued.
"Maybe that's not an appropriate question for this setting, huh mom? Why you left seven years ago…and never once even contacted me. Sure…if you need a more politically charged question, then maybe I should ask: why did you come back?"
"Marty."
She had finally found her voice, and she was eyeing him in a way that he knew meant that he needed to back down. But he was tired of backing down. And deep down…he really did want to know.
"It's M, mom. Everyone calls me M. I'm not Marty…if you had any part in my life you would know that by now."
"This is not the time or place," she cut in icily. "You are wasting these people's time…"
The crowd around M. didn't look like they thought that he was wasting their time. Even the monitor looked like she would be interested in some drama to offset all the dry content they had been listening to for the last hour. M. kept his tone calm, but now anger was making his hands shake all the more.
"You said you came back because I wrote you…that you wanted a relationship with me. But you lied. All you ever cared about was what I had to say about Amber, and then you twisted my words in that awful interview. You purposefully made my best friend look like a monster on national T.V. just to give yourself a better standing for councilwoman!"
"That is hardly true!" she snapped back, but he didn't let her cow him.
"Amber has never done anything to hurt me or anyone. She saved us in that cave…if she hadn't transported us out, we would have died under there. It was my fault we were there in the first place…my fault. And she had to pay the price; that's why she was in the hospital. Because of me. And when her family came to visit her, you threw them in prison!"
"Marty, give the microphone to the next person," his mother ordered frigidly, but he shook his head.
"You haven't answered my question yet," he pointed out. "Why'd you leave, mom? Was it so you could do all of this? So you could build your political career, and you didn't have to worry about me slowing you down or messing you up? If you didn't care about me, why not leave me out of the picture altogether? Or did it just sell a much better story having your poor, victimized son involved?!"
"I refuse to answer this in front of the entire realm!" Matilda hissed. "These are personal matters, Marty, not…"
"M! My name is M!"
He was losing his cool, and the monitor seemed to be getting uncomfortable now. She went to take the microphone, but he jerked it away from her, talking faster now so he could say everything that had been jumping around in his mind.
"And for the record, Amber's family had nothing to do with my disappearance! I ran away! I climbed out the window of your office after you locked me in there overnight, and I headed north. Because that's when I finally realized that that you really don't care about me. That you never did."
Tears were stinging his eyes now, and he could see security approaching now to deal with the problem. Matilda was glaring at him in a way that made him sure that she would never forgive him for this. But she didn't care about him anyways…so why let her manipulate him any more anyway?
"The reason that Cole and Keyda—the Oni—were with me when I was rescued wasn't because they were the cause of my disappearance. It's because they were the ones who managed to track me down…to save me before I got any more hurt than I did. They don't even know me…but they know I'm Amber's friend, and that was enough for them to look for me. They looked for me…the Oni that you've villainized cared about me more than my own mother did!"
He was shouting now, the security guards wrestling the microphone from his grasp as they tried to pull him out.
"Hey, let the kid speak!" a few people were yelling from the crowd. In fact, as the angry pounding faded from his ears, M. realized suddenly that the whole room was cacophonic with jeering and yelling and general mayhem.
"You have obvious bias, Marty," his mother was saying. She had stood now, as if standing would grant her authority over the chaos of the room. "And no political standing…."
"You've lied about everything!" he yelled as he was dragged from the room. "You're a liar, and people would be insane to vote for you!"
Her eyes flashed angrily at that, and the cameramen pressed closer as they tried to capture every juicy detail of M's forced removal from the hall. The teen's throat was burning, and he felt very much like a child who had done a very bad thing. But as he met his mother's eye one last time, he felt a stir of justice. Because as he watched Matilda's complexion flush to a color that matched her lipstick, he couldn't help but feel like he had won something. It was hard to know what, exactly…but as he was finally pulled through the exit doors, a feeling of victory overshadowed his other competing emotions. And with that to bolster him, he held his head high as the doors finally closed and cut off his view of the seething candidate completely.
21
